1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixture for recycling bottles made of plastics, which includes a base plate and means for anchoring the bottles arranged on the upper side of the base plate and engaging in indentations provided on the bottle bottoms. The present invention also relates to a recycling bottle made of plastics to be used with such a fixture and including an indentation on its bottle bottom.
2. Description of Related Art
Recycling bottles, in particular those made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), have been gaining ground over glass bottles because of their low weights. For plastic bottles, deposits are rarely collected these days, and that is why recycling bottles are returned to a limited percentage only. This percentage could not even be substantially raised by means of empty plastic bottle collection containers which were set up in population centers in large quantities. Moreover, empty plastic bottles are not easy to handle because the bottles occupy large volumes and tend to fall over due to their low weights and, therefore, preferably have to be collected in rigid containers prior to being handed in at appropriate collection sites. A volume reduction may, of course, be effected by compressing the bottles, yet it will then be required to put the cap back on the bottle so as to prevent the bottle from re-expanding upon air absorption. This involves an additional manipulation besides that of crushing the bottle, which consumers unfortunately do not accept in most cases, thus putting the bottles to residual waste. In addition, a crushed bottle cannot be introduced in an automated machine to determine its deposit, if any.
Since, on the one hand, the number of plastic bottles is steadily increasing, in particular those made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and, on the other hand, it is endeavored to substantially raise the number of recyclable bottles, the trend has been to add to the selling price of a bottle an accordingly high deposit for the return of the bottle. In some states, this measure even has been stipulated by adequate laws. It is to be expected that the number of states adopting this course of action is going to increase.
There has consequently been a growing demand for methods or devices enhancing the handling of empty, recycling, plastic bottles for the purpose of returning the same. In order to enable the determination of a bottle deposit, it is required that a recycling bottle will substantially keep its original shape without being crushed, for instance, to reduce its volume.
To this end, bottle carriers have been developed, which, on the one hand, facilitate the carrying of filled bottles from the retailer to the consumer and, on the other hand, enable the return of the empty bottles for refilling or recycling. German Patent 198 29 427, for instance, describes a bottle carrier comprising a base plate on which several bottles may be placed, which are retained by double fingers embracing the bottle. In addition, a handle may be attached to the base plate to enhance the carrying comfort. For the purpose of recycling or refilling, the bottles must usually be manually removed from the carrier, thus calling for another manipulation. Moreover, the double fingers holding the plastic bottles offer insufficient support to empty plastic bottles. Furthermore, the beverage carrier markedly increases the overall weight on account of its relatively large volume.
This last-mentioned drawback has also existed with other beverage carriers in the prior art, such as, e.g., those from U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,617 or from International Patent Application No. WO 99/16680.
Furthermore, there have been presented fixtures for bottles or the like, which are comprised of a base plate including depressions corresponding to the projection of the bottles or the like to be retained. Such fixtures call for additional measures such as, for instance, subsequent foiling in order to impart sufficient stability on the arrangement. After this, a carrying handle is usually mounted to such a foil. Although fixtures of this type are suitable for the selling of filled bottles or the like, the handling of empty bottles or the like will not be facilitated because of an insufficient support of the empty bottles and because carrying without a carrying handle is inconvenient. Fixtures of this type are described, for instance, in European Patent 0 306 074, or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,841 as well as European Patent 0 567 873.
A fixture of the instant type is described in International Patent Application No. WO 97/28061, wherein the base plate comprises means for anchoring the bottles and indentations on its lower side so as to enable the stacking of the fixtures occupied by bottles, one above the other. This type of anchorage, however, offers only a limited support such that, in particular, empty bottles will be supported insufficiently on the base plate.